1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fastener hand tools. Particularly, this invention relates to instruments for guiding the operation of hand tools for placement of a fastener media, including, but not limited to, pins, nails, staples or a rivets, caulking, tape, and adhesive.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various applications, different types of hand tools are used to dispense a fastening media such as nails, staples, rivets, caulking, tape, adhesive or numerous other types of fasteners. An individual user holds the tool, directs the operating end to a desired location, and activates the tool to deliver the fastening medium to the desired location. In one example, a nail gun (which can be powered by compressed air, electric power, combustion, or any other known power system) is configured to be held in one hand. The user directs the driver tip to a desired location, e.g. the surface of a wood workpiece at a location having a second wood workpiece directly behind it. The user then depresses a trigger causing the nail gun to rapidly drive a nail at the desired in a single power stroke penetrating both wood workpieces such that the nail fastens the two wood workpieces together. Other driven fasteners, such as staples and rivets can be delivered by similar hand tools.
In contrast, applied fastener media, such as caulking, tape or adhesive can be dispensed from hand tools such that when the user depresses an operating trigger, the fastening media is delivered continuously until the trigger is released. In this case, the fastening media is applied to a first workpiece surface and a second workpiece is positioned onto the first workpiece after application with the fastening media therebetween to form a bond.
In general, however, all such fastener hand tools are designed to dispense their respective fastener medium under the free hand direction of the user. Thus, such tools typically provide no means to conveniently and precisely control the placement of the fastener medium in a reapeatable manner, e.g. yielding a straight line of fasteners. This deficiency can often result in a variety of problems, particularly from less skilled users.
For example, haphazard placement of the fastener media can present a unprofessional appearance. Driven fastener media can be disposed in a flawed manner exiting the finished product in unacceptable locations yielding a visually unacceptable result. Such improper placement of the fastener media can also result inadequate fastening strength between workpieces due to misalignment of the fastener media. Some of these problems can be so severe that the finished product is unacceptable and must be completely redone. In addition, dispensing the fastener media without a guide can be significantly slower and therefore substantially more expensive. In addition, mistakes are the enevitable consequence of ordinary human error. Such mistakes can cost significant time and money to revisit and correct, reducing profits. Some tools for guiding the operation of the fastener hand tools have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,588 by Lin, issued Nov. 16, 1993, discloses an auxiliary slidable abutment is pivotally mounted on the nail cartridge of a nailing gun in such manners that it slides in a direction consistent with axis of the nail cartridge, and that it can be locked at any given point of its sliding course, and further that its bottom extends downward beyond the nail cartridge. It provides the nailing gun with the capability of doing things, such as driving with precision the nails onto a workpiece at the prescribed intervals, driving the nails with precision onto the fastened area of a horizontal board and a vertical board, and driving the nails onto a workpiece at a prescribed angle and with precision.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0152323 by Lin, published Jun. 18, 2009, discloses a position scale for a nail gun includes a scale member, a positioning member, and an extending member. The scale member is mounted on the nail gun with a zero scale aligned with a muzzle of the nail gun. The positioning member is detachably mounted on the scale member for reciprocation along the scale member with a position portion as an index of the scale marks of the scale member. The extending member is detachably mounted on the positioning member with an extending position portion vertical to the scale member, wherein the extending member is distal to the nail gun than the positioning member.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for apparatuses and methods for guiding the operation of fastener hand tools. There is a need for such apparatuses and methods to aid in controlling the delivery of the fastening with precision and repeatability. There is also a need for such devices to improve the speed and efficiency in dispensing the fastening medium and to do so while reducing the likelihood of errors. These and other needs are met by the present invention as detailed hereafter.